Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 1 hr, 46 mins
Cast:
- Daniel Craig
- Olga Kurylenko
- Mathieu Amalric
- Judi Dench
- Giancarlo Giannini
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Review - "Quantum of Solace"
Reviewer: Richard Jackson
Rating:
Quantum Of Solace, the much-anticipated follow-on from Casino Royale (which many people regard as the best Bond film of all time) hits the ground running in a dizzying chase through the mountains and tunnels of Italy.
Betrayed by Vesper, the woman he loved, 007 pursues his determination to uncover the truth, leading him to Italy, Austria, and South America. Bond (Daniel Craig) and M (Judi Dench) interrogate Mr. White (Jesper Christensen) and discover that the organization which blackmailed Vesper is far more complex and closer to home than they ever imagined. Following up a lead which takes Bond to Haiti, a case of mistaken identity introduces Bond to the beautiful but feisty Camille (Olga Kurylenko), a woman with her own vendetta. Camille leads Bond straight to Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), a ruthless businessman and major force within the mysterious organization. Bond discovers that Greene, conspiring to take total control of one of the world's most important natural resources, is forging a deal with the exiled General Medrano (Joaquin Cosio). Using his associates in the organization and manipulating his powerful contacts within the CIA and the British government, Greene promises to overthrow the existing regime in a Latin American country, thereby giving the General control of the country in exchange for a seemingly barren piece of land. Bond must stay one step ahead not only of Greene, but also of M, who is getting increasingly frustrated at the death count, and fears Bond may be making this mission too personally.
Quantum of Solace breaks new ground as there are no Bond girls, no Bond gadgets, and is the first film in the phenomenally-successful franchise to start where the previous one left off. The resultant film is, however, a pale imitation of Casino Royale , but I guess when you get everything so right (as in Casino Royale ), the only way is down.
The initial car chase is exciting, but we're not entirely sure why it's happening until the trunk of the car is finally opened. All the main bad guys in Casino Royale were killed off, so we have the minor bad guys being the source of the interrogation. The problem is that unless you have watched Casino Royale immediately before seeing Quantum, you might find it rather confusing, given the lack of explanation as to who the person is. The makers would have done well to do a quick recap reintroducing the minor characters rolled over from Casino Royale.
The action comes thick and fast and is at times spectacular, but the shaky camera shots have been filmed far too close to the action, and the editing is so fast and furious that I just found myself feeling dizzy and confused. It doesn't help that there is so little dialogue in the film that it all begins to feel like one giant frenetic chase with few pauses for breath.
Sadly, Quantum also brings probably the weakest Bond villain ever (Greene), and the lamest of plots behind his bid for wealth and power!
Add to the mix a lackluster Bond theme tune from Alicia Keys and Jack White, actors for whom English is not their first language and can be difficult to understand, and a chronic underusage of Daniel Craig's acting talents, and the end result is a disappointing mess.
As a true Bond fan I actually went to see Quantum of Solace a second time ten days later (having watched Casino Royale just before) to see whether I had just been in the wrong frame of mind to enjoy it. Surely the Bond makers couldn't have got it so spectacularly wrong, could they? After the second viewing, I'm afraid to say that yes, they could, and did!
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